Air-washing and ventilating machine



AIR WASHING AND VENTILATING MACHINE Filed March 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 @y M Awb/5.

Dec. 16, 1924., 1,519,726

Hf FREGHN AIR WASHING AND VENTILATING MACHINE Filed March 3, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1169 1924,

H. FREGHN AIR WASHING AND VENTILATING MACHINE Filed March 3, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Bec. il@ i924 I www@ H. FREGUN AIR WASHING AND VENTILATING MACHINE Filed Maron s, 1919 l5 sheets-sheet 4 Q1 M5565 N Mm www N QfW/zg/az'fz/ fric/CR@ meco www. www@ H. FREGHN AIR WASHING AND VENTILATING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1919 5 Sheetfs.-Sh.ael 5 Patented Dec. ll, i924,

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HERMN FREGIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOR T0 D. M. ONEIL, 0F CHICAGO; LLENOIS.

AIR-"WASIEIINGrl AND VENTILATING- MACHINE.

Application filed. March 3, 1919.

To all whom it may conc-em.'

Be it known that ll, HERMAN FREGIN, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of llllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Washing and Ventilating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means of compact form adapted for supplying and circulating fresh air, regulating the temperature and humidity thereof and puritying the same, and particularly to selfcontained, unitary devices of the character stated, adapted for use in living rooms, schools, otiices, restaurants, public halls and the like, especially where no adequate means for supplying the needs are incorporated in the design of the building.

2 lt has long been known that excessive and continued dryness of the air is likely to cause low personal etliciency, discomfort, sore throat, colds and general illness, particularly in the winter time, when rooms are frequent- 25,v 1y overheated and the air is usually too dry,

and therefore most likely to contain dust and germs. Moreover, unwashed air in cities carries more or less fine soot which ordinary Ventilating apparatuses and screens fail to remove.

rlhe main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of combined airwashing, attemperat-ing, Ventilating and humidifying means; to provide such a device adapted to warm the air in winter and to cool it in summer; to provide and assemble such 'a device eiiicientll in a common housing; to vprovide for rea y portability of such a device; to provide apparatus therefor adapted for simple operation and control; to provide such a device suitable for construction in either small or large units as may be desired, and adapted for use either in dwelling houses, oce buildings, factories, i5 or other places wherever desired; to provide for interchangeability of parts; and to provide an improved form of housing and arrangement of parts therein.

An .illustrative embodiment of this invention and modifications of certain details are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fi 1 is a perspective View of a device embodying the invention.

Serial No. 280,2M.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figs. 2 and 4.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section substantially similar to Fig. 3 but shows a plain paddle wheel blower and a group of impact spray generators.

Fig. 6 shows an end view of the impact spray generator assembly.

Fig. 7 is a conventional diagram of a preferred form of the device.

Fig. 8 is a face plan of a spiral discharge nozzle.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the spiral core of the nozzle of Figs. 9 and 10.

Fig. 12 is a view of a nozzle.

Fig. 13 is a View of a spray making de- Hector.

Fig. 14 is a view of a remote control device.

Fig. 15 is a view of the air inlet for draining the nozzles.

Figure 16 is an a-Xial section of the deflector or Figure 13.

lln the construction shown in the drawings, the device as a whole comprises in combination mainly a rigidly framed housing or cabinet 1, an induction llue 2 for bringing in air from outside of the building, a fan 3 for propelling the air through said device and expelling same with sufficient force to cause circulationfor a considerable distance into or throughout the room, a motor 4 for the Jfan, a heater 5 for warming the air, and means 6 for washing and supplying moisture to the air in the form of spray.

The cabinet 1 is of light and portable character, and in general external appearance somewhat resembles a high-grade cabinet style of phonograph, though it is preterably made of sheet metal and castings instead of wood and is given an enamel finish of any style desired. Said cabinet has a partition 7 arranged to provide substantiall into the room. The iue proper, and particand extending also up into the fan arm.

,is arranged with the air-supplying 3 in the other arm, and the ywarming means the bent U-portion of the flue is in, part substantially in the bottom part of the iue trough-like in character as at 11 and is provided with a drain-pipe 12 to carry off sur- The air washing and moistening spray is plus moisture resulting from condensation preferably applied to the air before it asses and settling of the spray and unevaporated to the heater, and for this reason, the evice water particles. 'In order to eifect separaiue 2 tion of surplus moisture from the air, baie connected to the arm 8 containing the spray means,7 are provided in the form of plates producing means,l and the fan 3 islocated in 13, 14 and the arm 9 which discharges the heated air and the radiator 5. Moisture from plate 15 is' drained off by pipe 12. The upward ularly the induction arm 8, is to advantage passageway between the ywalls 13 and 14is made of sheet metal jointed tightly and arranged with a deadair. space between the walls thereof and thewalls of the cabinet. The partition 7 causes the heated air to pass directly from the heater tothe fanV and prevents its being cooled by the-Hue 8.

baiiles 13 and 14 to further eliminate surlus moisture. v In order to facilitate interchangeability of spray nozzles and associated parts, the flue containing same is made in sections hav- The fan or blower 3- may be vof any deing telescopic relation to one another, and sired type, provided that its capacity is Suii? the cabinet adjacent thereto is provided cient to supply the required volume of air with a door or removable panel 16 whereby per minute and to create the necessary draft the nozzle-containing section may be respeed and momentum throughout the room, a paddle-wheel type or l of rotary blower being preferable t0 a The cabinet 1 as a whole comprises mainly propeller type of fan forthis purpose. a frame 17 including four upright corner The motor 4 is preferably of a type adaptmembers `in the form of angular. bars 18. ed to be driven by electricity, though a These corner Vbars are fixed permanently at water-driven motor or other means4 might their ends to the rigid base 19 and to the obviously be used, depending on the source top or cap member 20. IThe four upright of power available. Direct connection is walls of the cabinet are, in the form of provided for the motor and fan, as by shaft` sheet metal plates 21, 22, 23 and 24 secured 10, at their edges to corner bars 18, as by means The heater 5 may be of any type consistof screws 25 which .are concealed'by means ent with the source of heat, a steam radiof removable finishing corner beads 26. ator as here shown being preferable wher- Whenever necessary these wall plates may ever steamfis available. The heater is to be removed.Y advantage' positioned at the foot of the dis- For convenience in describing the device charge flue`9, so as to obtain the advantage more specifically the side 21 adjacent to of some natural draft tendency, as will be which the air intake iiue 2 is positioned is understood. f y designated the back, the opposite side 22 The spraying means 6 are constructed and the front and as viewed from the front arranged to elfect economically a most of the device, the other twosides 23 and 24 thorough washin ofthe air, and for this are designated left side and right side purpose a very fine and evenly distributed respectively. spray is necessary. The spraying part may The discharge arm 9 of the draft flue is to advantage be made in the form of one somewhat larger than the intake side 8 and or more pairs of nozzles (see Figs. 3 and includes a/sharp reverse bend just below and 10) disposed with each pair coaXiilly facing adjacent to the fan. A horizontal seat 28 each other, and the pairs arearranged is provided in the space 29 in front of the lengthwise of the vertical draft' arm 8, in upper part of the Hue arm 9 on which shelf which they are disposed, there being preferthe direct-connected motor and fanJ are ably two pairs side by side. Each nozzle 6 mounted, a block of cork 28 or other jaris so constructed as to impart a spiralabsorbing material being interposed for the like whirling motion to the water as it apmotor t0 bear upon, PIOaC'heS @mi leaYeS `the OIlfCG, whereby The fan or blower 3 is of the paddle-wheel effective distribution of the spray throughtype, and comprises a hub 30 fixed 0n the out the full width of the flue is eected.- Shaft 10, and a plurality of similar arms 31 By 'eison (ff, the arrangement ShOWni the radiating therefrom at each side, each arm spray is delivered in the form o f two cones, on one side of the hub being positioned o each extending at its base entirely across posite a corresponding arm on the other siv e. the Hue 8, so that the air all has to pass Each pair of arms having the same angular through a plurality of sheets of spray. position is provided in the form shown in These spray sheets may intersect as shown. Fig. 3 with a pair of plates or blades 32 and The bottom of the passage constituting 33 disposed on opposite sides near their for cleaning.

15 between the spray chamberv provided with downwardly inclined drip to effect circulation moved whenever desired, either for repairs outer extremities, one plate 32 bein positioned outward radially somewhat arther than the other. Said plates are curved as shown in Fig. 3, and cooperate to impart an outward thrust to the air which is drawn in centrally of the fan casing at the eye 35 on the side opposite from the motor, the motor side being entirely closed by a plate or wall 37. A fan casing extends upward and constitutes part of the discharge end of the flue, said casing including a curved plate 38 and a pair of similar fiat plates 39 secured by bolts 40. This casing 1s also provided with a guide wall 38 extending in a generally diagonal direction downward across the top of the fan oppositely of the direction of rotation and terminates at a point approximately over the center of the fan where said wall is about horizontal, as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 5, the form here shown is mainly similar to Fig. 3, but the blower and spray generators are of somewhat simpler construction. The fan 3 is provided wi-th a single plain blade or paddle 41 for each pair of arms; l

The spray generator of this figureI comprises a liquid supply tube 45 disposed horizontally, in combination with a rod 46 di'sposed parallelly thereto in spaced relation underneath, said' tube having discharge apertures and nozzles 47 directed toward said rod and the latter having upwardly facing dished deflectors 48 arranged in alinement with the nozzles 47 respectively, so as to dash the several streams into spray sheets by means of the liquid impact, the

several sheets being substantially in the form of conical jets, which more or less overlap one another.

The tube- 45 is supported by a pair of lugs 50 and the rod 46 is secured to the tube 45 by means of uprights 51 also in the form of rods. Each,- nozzle 47 is screwed into the tube 45 and is designed to produce a small solid stream. Each saucer-like plate 48 is mounted on a small post 52 screwed into the rod 46. The impact of the stream perpendicularly against the plate disperses the water as a sheet of spray.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. 3 and the details of Figs. 8 to 11, each of t-he nozzles 6 comprises a central body part 55 n of thick disk shape, having an vaxial threaded projection 56 on one side and the other side being shouldered eripherally and provided with a remova le threaded cap 58. Said cap has a concave outer face and is provided with a central discharge aperturev 60 for the jet. ,A spiral chamber 61 is provided between thebody part andthe cap,

vand an intake passageway 62 extends axially through said threaded projection to the outer part of the spiral chamber. The depth of the chamber diminishes from the outer part inward toward the center where adjacent to the jet aperture it is very shallow. By this construction the cross section of the spiral partdiminishes toward the center and the speed of the water is greatly accelerated, and as will be seen by reference to Fig. 11, the floor 63 ot the passageway ascends gradually from t-he outer part toward the center.

The discharge end of the fan 'lue 9 is provided with an enlargement 65 at or near the top, which serves somewhat in the capacity of a muiiler to reduce or suppress any! sound caused by the fan. The top piece 20 rests demountably on the frame part 20. It has a central opening 20 itted with a grid 67.

The motor is provided witlr' a manual control device Which may be mounted either in the front part of the cabinet as in Fig. 2 or may be placed at a distance and connected with the motor by means of a cable, as' will be understood, so that the starting and stopping of the device, as well as the operating speed, may be controlled if desired by a person in a remote part of the room, as for instance, at a desk where the switching means may b'e mounted.

In order to efficiently operate such a device as herein set forth under normal allthe-year-around conditions, it is necessary to control the supply of heat independently of the rest of the apparatus, for at times as in hot .weather the device must be capable of running without any addition of heat. The air intake closure 73 and water supply Valve may to advantage be controlled by a common handle 73 (see Fig. 7), beca-use all air used is to be washed, and when the spra is stopped the air should be cut 'off also. t is sufficient if the movement be limited to off and full on positions. that t-he fan motor may be controlled from a distance, it is in some instances advantageous to providel an independent starter therefor, and such controller may to advantage be adapted for a plurality of motor speeds so thatthe draft strength may be readily controlled by the user according to the state of the weather. All of the several control means may, of course, be connected for common'coaction if desired, but such an arrangement need not be described as it is not generally advantageous and is not claimed as a part of my invention. l

The device as a whole may be` made more or lessr portable in form by mounting on casters 75 (see Fig. 5) and supplying vflexible tubing for the air, water and steam connections as will be understood though not fully shown in the drawings.

ln hot weather the steam, of course, need not be connected. The temperature of the air is fortunately much reduced by the spray and by the evaporation of a consider lso able amount ot water. A still further lowering of temperature may be obtained if desired by introducing ice into the radiator chamber, to laccommodate which the radi ator may be removed during the summer, or a refrigerating coil 76 may be used.

ln winter the air may to advantage be warmed somewhat ybefore as well` as alter passing through the spray, in order that it may take up enough moisture to insure against the excessive dryness that usually prevails in the air of heated rooms in cold, dry seasons. l? or this purpose a few coils of steam pipe may be provided in the flue arm 8 as at 78 (see Fig. 7). The ammonia coil 7 6 may it preferred be disposed to cool the air before washing, for which purpose it may be mounted in the passageway 8 above the spray nozzles, as will be understood. Y

rl`he water supply is controlled by the main valve 80 in the main 81. An air cock 82 permits letting-air into the nozzles when the water is shut oil', so as to avoid danger of freezing in cold weather.

The air-treating device as a whole is well adapted kfor use in connection with a system oi' telephone booths or other enclosed compartments; as for example, in a phonograph store where a number of demonstration booths (not shown) may be connected by a branched tubular connection 85 to the discharge opening of the air-treating machine herein-described, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 7.

rl`he spray chamber is in the form loi a tank-like receptacle 87 in which is set the baiileplate 13 and also the spray means. Said receptacle 87 has a removable cover f member 88 extending to but not covering the passage between walls13 and 11i. rlhe cover 88 has an upward intake projection 88. The air supply flue 8 leading downward from the induction flue 2 to the cover neck 88 includes a pair of telescop-ically joined sections 89 and 90, the latter also having similar connection to said part 88, the joints 91, 92

and 93 being substantially alike.

The horizontal wall 95 serves to divide the cabinet space as a whole nearly equally, the upper space being somewhat the greater. rlhe Hue 8 extends through said wall 95, near one side and an air passage aperture 96 isdprovided over` the radiator at the other s1 e.

The fan wall plates 39 and the shell 28 eX- tend entirely 'across the cabinet from the right side to left side, so that the motor compartment 29 having door 29 is separate from the rest lof the interior. 39 are in the form of castings and are provided each with a guide rib 97 against fthe inner lside of which is disposed the curved sheet metal fan-wall 38. A series of small knobs or 'lugs 498 are disposed just inside the Said platesy wall -38 to hold the latter snug and air-tight against said rib. This preventsy leakage of air and makes for fan eiiiciency.

The radiator 5 is provided with inlet and oulet pipes 101 and 102 respectively and also has an air valve 103. An inlet aperture 105 is provided in the left wall 23, near the top, for admitting the necessary kpower leads for the motor, as will be understood.

Although the device may be to a considerable degree portable, still it is ordinarily more or less-'permanent in character when once installed, much" as a stove may be so regarded. ln order that it may be positively fixed to the door whenever desired, the flange 19 of the base is providedwith holes 19 adapted to receive screws or the like.

The top trame part 20 and grid 67 may well be cast integrally it desired.

The air coclr 82 may be of a simple type adapted for operation by hand, but in order that the nozzles may be drained automatically and without burdening the mind of the attendant, a gravity-operated form of valve is provided, including a ball 107 arranged to against the seat 108 to close the valve port 109 and to be released from the seat by gravity as soon as the water pressure is released, as by closing valve 80. Y

llhe variable speed device 110 or 14 is a combined switch and rheostat ci a form adapted for desir use, when remote control is desired. Said device 110 has the necessary terminals 111, a pair oit push buttons 112 and a Contact arm 111icontrolled thereby so as to play over a series of resistance contacts 115 so as to cut in and out resistance whenever it is desired te alter the speed of the motor.,

although but two embodiments this invention are herein shown and described, it

. is to be understood that numerous details ci the constructions shown may be altered or omitted withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims, and thatithe features oit primary importance are common to both terms.

l claim:

be forced by the water upv An air washing and moistening device,

comprising in combination an air passageway, meansv iior propelling air therethrough, closure means for said passageway, means for spraying the air in said passageway to wash and moisten the same, means for controlling the supplyl o/.water to the spraying device, and a manuallyoperable member connected to both said closure means and said last-mentioned means, whereby their control is coordinated and their respective opening and closing rendered simultaneous,

2. lin an air washlng and moistenlng device of A, the character described, a

cabinet having a draft due compris-4v ing,` in combination, a plurality of telescopic sections, one of which is separable from the others, and means mounted in one of said sections adjacent to said removable section for supplying a spray of water to the air passing through said iiue, and said cabinet having means of access opposite said one section whereby the latter may be removed for access to said spray supplying means. v

3. An air washing and Ventilating machine of portable self-contained and unitary character, comprising in combination a c0m .pact upright housing cabinet provided with a U-shaped iue, the discharge arm of which extends to the top of the cabinet, an induction flue communicating with the other arm of said hue for supplying out-door air,

and means in the rst mentloned iue for HERMAN FREGIN. 

